Electric switch



April 30, 1935 v. w. LEONARD ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 25; 195s Inventor- Vincent. W Leo hargl, by 8 His Actor-neg.

Patented Apr. 30, 1 935" v 1,099,880

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Vincent W.'Leonard, Saugus, Mass, asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation oi New York Application August 25, 1933, Serial No. 686,708 Glaims. (Cl. 200-67) My invention relates to improvements in elec- For actuating the switch mechanism, I protric switches and more particularly to improvevide an operating member ll which may, for slmments for switch operating mechanisms for elecplicity in construction, be pivotally mounted on tric switches of the so-called over-center snap one of the stops! and have its motion in one di- 5 action type. An object of my invention is to prorection, clockwise as shown in the drawing, lim- 5 vide an improved switch mechanism which is ited by another stop, for example the stop 8. compact and which is free of latches and does not In order that'movement of the operating memrequire a large number of springs. Another obber in either direction may move the over-center ject of my invention is to provide an improved biasing means l3 over center so as to move the switch mechanism which may be double-throw member I from one contact controlling position 10 and which after movement from one contact conto another, I provide a resilient force transmittrolling position to another automatically reting means, such as the spring I5, which interturns to its initial contact controlling position. connects the operating member I 4 and the rocker A further object of my invention is to provide an member 8. In order that the movement of the '15 improved switch mechanism which is operative operating lever may be as small as possible, the

to insure the desired contact operation and prespr n 5 i prefera ly connected to the opera sure with a minimum effort. leverat a point relatively close to the fulcrum My invention will be better understood from of the rockert. The spring I 5 is so arranged with 2 the following description when considered in conespect to the support 5, the rocker member 6 and scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. he parts in th p si i n h w n 1 and in In the accompanying sheet of rawing, Fi 1 fullline in Fig. 2, but uponapredetermined moveillustrates in perspective an electric switch emment of the operating memb r n e r i bodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation counter-clockwise as shown in the drawing, to 26 of the switch shown in Fig. 1 with the parts in the actuate the rocker member 6 about its fulcrum same circuit controlling position; and Fig. 3 is a in a direction, clockwise as shown inthe drawside elevation of the switch shown in Fig. 1 with in to move the ove -c nter sp l3 a s the the parts in another circuit controlling position. axis of the support 5 whereby to effect movement In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, of both members 5 an 7 fr m n limi n 30 a suitably mounted support 5 has pivotally assor nta t ntr llin p siti n. sh wn in i s- 1 3 ciated therewith two movable members 6 and l and 2. to another limiting or contact ont n which extend from the su rt in opposite direcp siti n, sh wn in Fi 3- On as f th ptions 88 wn- While the support 5 may be in crating member, however, the spring l5 moves'the the form of a cylindrical pivot on which the memoperating member and the rocker member; in di- 5 bers 6 and 1 are rotatably mounted, I preferably rections oppos te to their p ecedin movements use, in order to reduce friction to a minimum and r by mov g th Over-Center Spring back also for simplicity in construction and assembly, across the axis .of the suppo 5 o a to t n a support such as shown, which presents suit bl the movable members 6 and 1 to their first conknife edges on which the members 6 and l are a n ol n p s i z fulcrumed. These members may thus be termed The pera on of he p n Will he more 40 rocker members. For limiting the movement of e y app e t from s 2 and Thus, the members 5 and 7 in each direction there are fer ing to Fig. 2 wi h the P shown in the provided suitable means such as stops 8 and 9 full line position, it will be apparent that the. for the member 6, and ill-and llfor the member 1. axis of the over-center spring 13 is below the Either one or both of the stops land It may take axis of the fulcrum 5. Consequent y. t pull the form of contacts, as shown, depending upon of the spring l3 holds the members 6 and 1 whether it is desired to have a single or doubleagainst the t ps 8 a e p e yh throw switch and a cooperating contact 52' is pull of the spring l 5 on the operating member mountedon the member l. M is such as to exert a torque tending to turn For moving the members 6 and l toward and the operating member clockwise about its pivotal holding them against first the stops 8 and i0 resupport 9, thus maintaining the operating memspectively and then the stops 9 and Il respecber against the stop 8 because thpoint of attively, I provide an over-center biasing means tachment of the spring l5 to the operating mamsuch as the spring I3 which interconnects the her i4 is below the pivot 9. Also the pull of the 5 members a and 1, a

n i n with the accompanying drawing and its the operating member II as to tend to maintain 20' spring 15 on the rocker arm 6 is in such a direc- 55 tion as to produce a torque tending to turn the rocker member 6 counter-clockwise about its fulcrum. The member 6 is thus maintained against the stop -8. The spring l may be a stronger spring than the spring I3, that is to say, it may require a greater force to stretch it a given length. As the operating member is rotated counter-clockwise by any suitable means, such as cams l'l rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow [8, the spring i5 is raised above the axis of the fulcrum 5. Immediately this occurs the force of the spring IS on the member 6 is in such a direction as to produce a torque tending to turn this member clockwise about its ful crum, but no clockwise movement of the member 6 occurs until this clockwise torque exceeds the counter-clockwise torque of the spring 13 on the member 6. After'the member 6 has turned clockwise a predetermined amount, the over-center spring I3 is carried above the axis of the support 5. The Iorce'of the over-center spring then is directed on both of the members 6 and 1 in such a way as to bring them to bear against their respective stops 9 and l I, as shown in Fig. 3.

In this position, however, the force exerted by the spring l5 on the operating member I4 is such as to produce a torque tending to turn the operating member clockwise about its pivot 9 to engage the stop 8 because the point of attachment of this spring to the member [4 is still be-' low the pivot 9. Although the force exerted by the spring IS on the member 6 is in a direction to produce a torque tending to hold the member 6 against its stop 9, the torque on the operating member I4 is enough greater so that when the 'cam'll releases the operating member l4, this member moves clockwise to carry the spring l5 belowthe axis of the support 5. As soon as this occurs, the torque exerted by the spring IS on the member 6 is in such a direction as to tend to turn the memberi counter-clockwise. When this counter-clockwise torque exceeds the clockwise torque of the spring l3 on the member 8,

this member rotates and carries the over-center spring I3 below the axis of the support 5 whereupon both of the members 6 and I are returned to the initial contact controlling position. In other words, the second contact controlling position is maintained only for the period of time that the operating member is held in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and the initial contact controlling position is. immediately restored upon release of the operating member.

' While the operating member M can be operated in anyway suitable to the purpose at hand,

I have illustrated an arrangement whichmay be used in circuit controlling devices employed in connection with reclosing circuit breaker schemes wherein a graduated time disk I9 is provided with a plurality of adjustably positioned cams H which may be driven through a gear mechanism 2| by any suitable motor means 20, electric or otherwise.

While I have shown and described my invention in considerable detail, I do not desire. to be limited to the exact arrangements shown but seek to cover in the appended claims all those modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:"

1. A switch operatingmechanism comprising a support, two movable members pivotally associated with said support and extending therefrom in opposite directions, means for limiting the and resilient rorce transmitting means intercon-t necting said operating member and one of said movable members 'for actuating the .movable member to move said biasing means over center on movement of the operating member in said direction whereby to effect movement of both movable members from one motion limiting position to the other motion limiting position, said resilient means-being connected to said operating member and to said one of said movable members at points such as continuously to exert a force tending to move the operating member in the opposite direction whereby to return said movable members to the first motion limiting position after a definite movement of said actuating means.

2. A switch operating mechanism comprising a support, two movable members pivotally associated with said support and extending thereirom in opposite directions, a contact carried by one of said members, means for limiting the movement at each member in each direction, the motion limiting means of the contactcarrying member being contacts engageable by the contact on the member, over-center biasing means for moving said members toward and holding them against the motion limiting means, an operating member means for actuating said operating member in one direction and resilient force transmitting means interconnecting said operating member and the other one of said movable.

members for actuating the movable member to move said biasing means over center on a predetermined movement of the operating member in .said direction whereby. to effect movement of the movable contact carrying member from an initial position against the contact on one side to the contact on the other side, said resilient means being connected to the operating membenand to said other movable member at points such as continuously to exert a force tending to move the operating member in the opposite direction whereby to return said movable contact carrying member to its initial position after a definite movement of said actuating means. I

3. A switch operating mechanism comprising a support, two rocker members fulcrumed on said support, stops on opposite sides of said members for limiting the angular movement of each in each direction, an over-center spring interconnecting-said members for moving said members toward and holding them against the stops on their respective sides, an operating member pivotally associated with one of said stops, :3. spring interconnecting said operating member and one of said rocking members for actuating the rocking member to move said biasing means over center on movement of the operating member whereby to effect movement of both rocker members from their positions against the stops on one side to the stops on the other side.

4. A switch operating mechanism comprising support, two movable members pivotally associated with said support and extending therefrom neaaaa'o with said operating member for biasing each to a predetermined position the points or connection of said biasing means being such as to cause the biasing means to eiIect movement or said one movable member in a direction to move said over-center biasing means over center upon a predetermined movement of the operating member in one direction whereby to eiiect movement of both movable members from one limiting position to another and on release of the operating member to move both the operating member and said one movable member in the opposite direction whereby to move the over-center biasing means back over center to return the movable members to their first limiting position.

5. A switch operating mechanism comprising a support, two rocking members i'ulcrumedon said support, stops on opposite sides of said members for limiting the movement of each in each operating member pivotally associated with one of said stops and movable in one direction to engage another of said stops and resilient means interconnecting said operating member and one said other stop operative on a predetermined movement or the operating member in another direction to move said over-center biasing means s over center whereby to eflect movement-oi both rocker members from one limiting position to another and on release 01' the'operating member to efiect a return movement thereof to said other stop whereby to move said over-center biasing means back over center to rettu'n members to their first limiting positio VINCENT W. LEONARD;

the rocker.

not said rocker members for biasing each toward a 

